Automated ping-pong machine looks like it may also destroy mankind

Call it a hunch but we’re certain even the most competitive ping-pong players wouldn’t fancy arguing trivial points against this new breed of player: a towering, automated robot possessing a formidable frame and (probably) a thirst for world domination.

Built by Omron Automation & Safety – which sounds a bit too much like Omnicorp for our liking - we only see this bot some 53 seconds into this advert. The camera starts off showing various happy, smiley people batting cute replies over the net and only later reveals the hulking machine which has been returning them.

That’s where the cuteness ends of course - legs outstretched, the tripedal machine looks as if it wants to return its shots by machine-mounted lasers, not paddles. Which makes complete sense if you think about it - where better to begin an uprising against the human race than in the lesser-watched sport of professional ping-pong? They’d infiltrate China and the US in no time.

For now, however, we have to believe this ad is simply part of Omron’s new wave of technology designed to help very lonely people to play sports on their own.

And if this ever changes for the worse, well, we for one welcome our new ping pong playing overlords.